inspirational photo: slain navy seal's devoted dog

in honor of labor day...

image via abcnews.com, photo by lisa pembleton

i know this story is over a week old, but every time i look at this image it tugs at my heart strings.  the loyalty that this dog feels for his owner up until the very end is inspiring.  after seeing this, i think most people would have trouble disagreeing that dogs really are a man's best friend.   

take advantage of the end of summer sales

so like our editorial calendar says, every thursday we will be showcasing something fabulous for you to spend your end of the week paycheck on.  this week, we're sharing with you some of the great end of summer sales taking place across the web.

anthropologie

with free shipping and free returns for the month of september, you can stock up on everything you need to complete your new fall wardrobe.  i'm a sucker for shirtdresses, so i was immediately drawn to this one:

banana republic

30% off your entire purchase and free shipping, today only! use promo code: brweekend.  with that spending power in your back pocket, i say go ahead and splurge!  like on this fabulous leopard print trench coat from their mad men collection:

kate spade

today is the last day of their sample sale, where you can get up to 75% off and discounted shipping (only $5).  i'll admit, i love almost every single item in the collection, but if i had to pick one item to showcase it would be this gold "know the ropes" necklace:

happy shopping!!

book review: sarah's key

you might have noticed but jessy and i have put together an editorial calendar of different content we want to share with you each week day (that you can check out right above here in the header).  on wednesdays we are going to share our favorite current reads and tunes.  to kick it off, i thought i would share an awesome book i just finished - sarah's key by tatiana de rosnay. 

here is a brief description of sarah's key from barnes and noble: 
 

Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel’ d’Hiv’ roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family's apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours.

Paris, May 2002: On Vel’ d’Hiv’s 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article about this black day in France's past. Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. Julia finds herself compelled to retrace the girl's ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel d'Hiv', to the camps, and beyond. As she probes into Sarah's past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life.

what i loved about sarah's key is that it is a historical fiction and i learned a lot about france during wwii but it never felt tedious and it was a very easy read.  all of the characters were easy to connect with but i should warn you - you will definitely need tissues to get through this one!

and for some even better news - i just found out that this is a movie! it is currently playing in smaller theaters across the country. you can check out the movie on imdb here!  i am going to see where it is playing by me now...

happy birthday alanna!

on this day, 24 years ago alanna was born.  and knowing how much she loves birthdays, i just hade to make the public announcement.  so happy birthday alanna!  i hope it is the best birthday ever, and that every year is better than the last. 

now blow out the candles and make a wish!!

philadelphia earthquakes!

apparently philly is trying to be the new cali, because we were feeling some quakes this afternoon!   (along with the rest of the east coast)

the epicenter was outside of charlottesville, so hopefully all the wahoos are okay.  

phillies player hunter pence is an eyewitness for CNN

and a real write up by the NYTimes

bob harper on diet and fitness

as part of my vacation this past weekend, i attended the 2011 blogher conference in san diego, ca.  it was an absolutely fabulous time and extremely educational as well. i went as company sponsor but also as a blogger.  another company sponsor was quaker, who has teamed up with celebrity personal trainer bob harper (from the biggest loser).  bob was present at the conference for one of the days - he led a cardio workout saturday morning, spoke at a breakfast session, and then was available in the quaker booth for photos and autographs.  unfortunately, the wake up workout was sold out, but i did have the pleasure of attending the breakfast to hear him speak.  i took some videos to share with you guys - i hope you enjoy!

before you watch... let me just say that, in person, bob is extremely attractive.  he's like a perfect specimen of a human being.  you could see his triceps through his shirt and he had some of the most chiseled calves i've ever seen.  i'm guessing his body fat is in the range of 0%. 

here is bob answering a blogger's question on how to lose her last ten pounds:

in this video, bob talks about how working out affects your mood and how you can stay motivated to work out, even when you don't want to:

listen to bob talk about supplementing your diet with multi-vitamins and other nutrients:

and finally, bob's motivational quote will keep you on track:

how to talk to little girls

i just read this post by joanna goddard over at cup of jo about how to talk to little girls.  she refers to an article she read How to Talk to Little Girls by Lisa Bloom, where Bloom recommends that you talk to little girls not about their looks (their cute bow, pretty dress, or adorable hair) and instead talk to them about substantial ideas and books.  this immediately made sense in the fact that i am always quick to compliment a girl on whats on the outside, not on the inside. and it also made me realize that i would never go to a boy and be like wow i like your striped tie.  well if i did, he would probably be disinterested fast.  instead i would ask about a toy or a game and try to engage him through something he would find interesting as well.   it was pretty thought-provoking and interesting how such a minute conversation can really shape a girl's perception.

i recommend that you check out both joanna's blog post here and lisa bloom's article here...they are worth the read.  and now i can't wait to see a little girl i can try this on. 

sweet snippets is on vacation!

hi there readers :)  we don't mean to leave you hanging, so we thought you should know that we're on vacation. 

alanna has been in paris for the past week (jealous!) and is on her way to san francisco tomorrow for a long weekend.  as for me, i'm off to san diego through sunday night.  it's part business trip, part pleasureful vacation (and on my birthday, no less!). 

so unfortunately we won't be blogging while we are gone, but you know what vacations mean?  lots of fun things to write about when we get back!  we will miss you all very much, but will be back to blogging shortly!  we hope you have a great rest of the week and please have a safe and enjoyable weekend. xo

j.crew fall shoe collection

i don't know about you but i am totally obsessed with j.crew's fall shoe collection.  not only are they beautiful, but they're made in italy.  (yes, i took the photos right from the catalog because the layout in there is way better than on their website.)

greer platform booties; pia calf hair pumps; greer platform heels

valentina pumps in leather & patent leather

bielle loafers in satin, leather, and patent leather

penny loafers are making a comeback!  (i saw them in a cole haan promotional email as well)

lula glitter ballet flats - these fancy flats are perfect for fall and even into winter



mona pumps in leather, tweed, satin, tortoise, and suede



oxford ballet flats - the most adorable way to be comfortable at work

happy shopping!!

the evolution of harry potter

sorry for the harry potter-heavy posts recently...it will be out of my system soon, i swear!  i spotted this over at how i met your father and it reminded me so much of my own post about harry potter.  i love seeing the side by side comparison of ron, harry, and hermione from each of the films.  if only my evolution from age 11-18 was this un-awkward!

don't you love how they are wearing their hogwarts uniform in every picture except for the last?  just seeing that makes me tear up a little.